Sunday, May 29, 2011

When you can’t quite catch happiness…

 

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I had been looking forward to it all week, the Hubs day off of work.

We had big plans with our visiting grandbabies for a fun day.

The day before, the evening before, everything was great.

That night I had an unsettling dream, unusual for me, and when I woke up on that anticipated day, I just felt off.  I felt off all day.  I felt like I was chasing happy and couldn’t quite catch it.

Tonight, the grandbabies are camped out on the floor in our room, I hear their soft snores as I type.  The Hubs is watching an old MASH re-run,  I’m snuggled in bed photo-editing on the laptop.  Suddenly, happy has caught me.

Happiness is a very capricious thing. I’ve tried to catch it on a beautiful, sunny, vacation day and had it allude me.  I’ve been on my hands and needs scrubbing the kitchen floor and had it catch me. 

I’ve come to realize happy is a very unreliable, unpredictable, undependable emotion.

I think I’ll just quit chasing happy.

Instead I’m running after gratitude, because when I catch it, I also grab hold of contentment and joy.

Oh sure, I’ll still enjoy the moments when happy sneaks up on me,

but it’s just not the prize I’m after anymore.

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my continuing gratitude list #1134-#1144

-a great night’s sleep

-a fun outing with all three grandbabies

-homemade spaghetti sauce

-all His benefits (Psalm 103)

-walking around local fitness trail with the Hubs and grandbabies

-cooking with the kids

-being early for an appointment, so having a quiet half-hour in the car with Bible and journal

-an evening at oldest daughter’s, a movie and popcorn, fun watching the three grandkids together

-visiting Mama’s grave, now that her headstone is done, with the grandbabies and leaving flowers

-a trip to Hub’s hometown, visiting his dad’s grave, walking around the lake, sharing his memories with the grandkids

-those who paid the price for our freedom with their lives

 

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Gratefully yours,

Elizabeth

13 comments:

  1. Hi Elizabeth..we must be learning the same lesson! So true that being grateful and giving are the two shortest routes to finding joy...and of course serving the Lord.

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  2. Love this. I realized, or at list have been beginning to realize, that chasing the idea of being happy can be futile and frustrating. Instead, like you, I've become determined to live grateful. In all moments.

    Have a restful Memorial Day.

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  3. Joy. That's what I learned about happiness. There is no happy without joy from Him. Sounds like your days are full of that joy with those grandbabies visiting. Thanks for sharing.

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  4. I love this, Elizabeth:

    "Instead I’m running after gratitude, because when I catch it, I also grab hold of contentment and joy."

    Glad you had such a special week.

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  5. I heard something recently that has really stuck with me emotions, feelings, etc should be our caboose and The Word should be our engine. Most people including me has it flipped with go with our emotions and let the Word come last. I'm so glad you are having a wonderful time with your grand babies.

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  6. Well said, Elizabeth!

    Blessings,
    Marilyn

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  7. Elizabeth,
    So true. A grateful heart is such a blessing, and results in peace and joy.
    Blessings to you and yours!

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  8. A valuable lesson we must all learn. Joy can be at home in our hearts when happiness walks away! When we come to realize the difference it brings such peace - and happiness. Thank you for the reminder.
    ~Adrienne~

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  9. i know that feeling well of trying to catch happy and just don't manage to esp. on days that should be special...best to let go then...and the home made spaghetti sauce...hmmmm

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  10. I think I’ll just quit chasing happy.

    Instead I’m running after gratitude, because when I catch it, I also grab hold of contentment and joy.

    Oh amen! I'm trying to stop my self-pitying woe-is-me moments by turning to gratitude. It's amazing how quickly I can find multiple things to be thankful for.

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  11. "I’ve tried to catch it on a beautiful, sunny, vacation day and had it allude me. I’ve been on my hands and knees scrubbing the kitchen floor and had it catch me."

    This is beautiful and so very true. Thank you for the reminder to chase gratitude and not happiness...

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  12. oh wow. this is what i've found, exactly... happy is like a butterfly, just out of reach... and then suddenly, there it is, perched in the bouquet you're holding, and you've caught it not even trying. such a gift that comes from being grateful, i believe. such a good post, friend. thank you.

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  13. Oh the elusiveness of happiness. I can usually trace back the arrival or departure of feeling-right-with-the-world to a moment, but it's often the most innocuous of moments. And so hard to control, so hard to defeat the moments when I feel disturbed.

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